The Theory of Fantasy (64 books)

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Books describing or analyzing the realm and genre of Faerie and fantasy. No fantasy novels, please.

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1	On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature by C.S. Lewis 4.28 avg rating — 1,549 ratings score: 691, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Tolkien On Fairy-stories by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.32 avg rating — 5,105 ratings score: 595, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Road to Middle-Earth: How J.R.R. Tolkien Created a New Mythology by Tom Shippey 3.95 avg rating — 6,175 ratings score: 583, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Tolkien Reader by J.R.R. Tolkien really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 5,379 ratings score: 493, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Bandersnatch: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings by Diana Pavlac Glyer (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 1,434 ratings score: 395, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays by J.R.R. Tolkien 3.96 avg rating — 4,086 ratings score: 383, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey 3.89 avg rating — 5,748 ratings score: 382, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Fantasists on Fantasy: A collection of Critical Reflections by Eighteen Masters of the Art by Robert H. Boyer (Goodreads Author) (Editor) 3.71 avg rating — 28 ratings score: 379, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin 4.29 avg rating — 2,587 ratings score: 292, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Morphology of the Folktale by Vladimir Propp 4.01 avg rating — 2,269 ratings score: 281, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Master of Middle-Earth: The Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien by Paul H. Kocher 3.78 avg rating — 3,181 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Rhetorics of Fantasy by Farah Mendlesohn (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 372 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Understanding the Lord of the Rings: The Best of Tolkien Criticism by Neil D. Isaacs (Editor) 4.03 avg rating — 2,099 ratings score: 196, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Faeries by Brian Froud 3.92 avg rating — 75,760 ratings score: 196, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell 4.12 avg rating — 46,477 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion by Jack D. Zipes 4.06 avg rating — 402 ratings score: 192, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales by Sheldon Cashdan (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 724 ratings score: 190, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers by Marina Warner 4.12 avg rating — 1,483 ratings score: 187, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Tolkien and the Invention of Myth: A Reader by Jane Chance Nitzsche (Editor) 3.84 avg rating — 51 ratings score: 187, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Wave in the Mind: Talks and Essays on the Writer, the Reader and the Imagination by Ursula K. Le Guin 4.33 avg rating — 3,063 ratings score: 186, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	When Dreams Came True: Classical Fairy Tales and Their Tradition by Jack D. Zipes 3.91 avg rating — 92 ratings score: 186, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Owl, The Raven, and the Dove: The Religious Meaning of the Grimms' Magic Fairy Tales by G. Ronald Murphy 4.33 avg rating — 93 ratings score: 185, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings by Harold Bloom 4.30 avg rating — 244 ratings score: 182, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Strategies of Fantasy by Brian Attebery 4.13 avg rating — 122 ratings score: 178, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	The Making of Star Trek by Stephen E. Whitfield 4.11 avg rating — 1,208 ratings score: 177, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	The World of Star Trek by David Gerrold (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 806 ratings score: 175, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life by Terry Brooks (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 1,709 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	La Conexión Española de J.R.R. Tolkien. El "Tío Curro" by José Manuel Ferrández Bru (Goodreads Author) 4.27 avg rating — 11 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature by Edward James (Editor) 3.90 avg rating — 266 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Science of the Magical: From the Holy Grail to Love Potions to Superpowers by Matt Kaplan (Goodreads Author) 3.69 avg rating — 867 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Literature of Hope in the Middle Ages and Today: Connections in Medieval Romance, Modern Fantasy, and Science Fiction by Flo Keyes really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 9 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	JRR Tolkien. El árbol de las historias by Pablo Gutiérrez Carreras (Coordinator) 4.17 avg rating — 6 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card 3.91 avg rating — 4,940 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Japanese Psyche: Major Motifs in the Fairy Tales of Japan by Hayao Kawai 4.32 avg rating — 34 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Dissecting Cthulhu: Essays on the Cthulhu Mythos by S.T. Joshi (Editor) 4.15 avg rating — 46 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Imaginary Worlds by Lin Carter 3.90 avg rating — 120 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Initiatory Path in Fairy Tales: The Alchemical Secrets of Mother Goose by Bernard Roger 3.38 avg rating — 16 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	A Cthulhu Mythos Bibliography & Concordance by Chris Jarocha-Ernst 4.40 avg rating — 15 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy by Michael Moorcock 3.76 avg rating — 341 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Modern Fantasy: Five Studies by Colin Manlove liked it 3.00 avg rating — 6 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis: How Great Books Shaped a Great Mind by Jason M. Baxter 4.47 avg rating — 1,737 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Tolkien's Modern Middle Ages by Jane Chance Nitzsche (Editor) 3.77 avg rating — 30 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Perilous Realms: Celtic and Norse in Tolkien's Middle-earth by Marjorie J. Burns 3.86 avg rating — 65 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Fantasy: The Literature of Subversion (New Accents) (Volume 0) by Rosemary Jackson 3.72 avg rating — 278 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines by Mike Madrid 3.79 avg rating — 1,265 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits by Dimitra Fimi (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 92 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Science of Middle-Earth: Explaining The Science Behind The Greatest Fantasy Epic Ever Told! by Henry Gee (Goodreads Author) 3.53 avg rating — 96 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Women Writers Explore Their Favorite Fairy Tales by Kate Bernheimer (Goodreads Author) (Editor) 3.92 avg rating — 459 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Splintered Light: Logos and Language in Tolkien's World by Verlyn Flieger (Editor) 4.03 avg rating — 1,161 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Writing Down the Dragon: and Other Essays on the Tolkien Method and the Craft of Fantasy by Tom Simon 4.46 avg rating — 37 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Ursula K. Le Guin Beyond Genre: Fiction for Children and Adults by Mike Cadden 3.50 avg rating — 4 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie & Folklore in the Literature of Childhood by Jane Yolen 4.16 avg rating — 414 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Shamanic Odyssey: Homer, Tolkien, and the Visionary Experience by Robert Tindall 4.32 avg rating — 31 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien: The Places That Inspired Middle-earth by John Garth (Goodreads Author) 4.30 avg rating — 587 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	The Mirror Crack'd: Fear and Horror in JRR Tolkien's Major Works by Lynn Forest-Hill (Editor) 4.13 avg rating — 15 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	A Guide to Fantasy Literature: Thoughts on Stories of Wonder and Enchantment by Philip Martin 3.88 avg rating — 42 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Ursula K. Le Guin by Harold Bloom (Editor) 3.69 avg rating — 16 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle Earth by Bradley J. Birzer 4.19 avg rating — 624 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Fantasy: The 100 Best Books by James Cawthorn 3.92 avg rating — 72 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	One Ring to Bind Them All: Tolkien's Mythology by Anne C. Petty (Goodreads Author) 3.30 avg rating — 30 ratings score: 86, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	From Hobbits to Hollywood: Essays on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings (Contemporary Cinema, 3) by Ernest Mathijs 3.67 avg rating — 18 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Fantasy Fiction: An Introduction by Lucie Armitt 2.73 avg rating — 30 ratings score: 83, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Master of Adventure: The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs by Richard A. Lupoff 4.01 avg rating — 242 ratings score: 82, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Alternative Worlds in Hollywood Cinema by James Walters liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings score: 81, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars